U.S. patent number 10,892,292 [Application Number 16/386,826] was granted by the patent office on 2021-01-12 for back-side illuminated image sensor.
This patent grant is currently assigned to STMicroelectronics (Crolles 2) SAS. The grantee listed for this patent is STMicroelectronics (Crolles 2) SAS. Invention is credited to Daniel Benoit, Emmanuel Gourvest, Olivier Hinsinger.
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United States Patent |
10,892,292 |
Benoit , et al. |
January 12, 2021 |
Back-side illuminated image sensor
Abstract
A back-side illuminated image sensor includes memory regions
formed in a semiconductor wafer. Each memory region is located
between two opaque walls which extend into the semiconductor wafer.
An opaque screen is arranged at the rear surface of the memory
region and in electrical contact with the opaque walls.
Inventors: |
Benoit; Daniel (Saint-Ismier,
FR), Hinsinger; Olivier (Barraux, FR),
Gourvest; Emmanuel (Voiron, FR) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
STMicroelectronics (Crolles 2) SAS |
Crolles |
N/A |
FR |
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Assignee: |
STMicroelectronics (Crolles 2)
SAS (Crolles, FR)
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Family
ID: |
1000005297375 |
Appl.
No.: |
16/386,826 |
Filed: |
April 17, 2019 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20190244989 A1 |
Aug 8, 2019 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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15592437 |
May 11, 2017 |
10304893 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Oct 7, 2016 [FR] |
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16 59700 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01L
27/14685 (20130101); H01L 27/14623 (20130101); H01L
27/14629 (20130101); H01L 27/1463 (20130101); H01L
27/1464 (20130101); H01L 27/14609 (20130101); H01L
27/1462 (20130101); H01L 27/14636 (20130101); H01L
27/14687 (20130101); H01L 27/14698 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01L
27/146 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;257/460 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Other References
INPI Search Report and Written Opinion for FR 1659700 dated May 24,
2017 (10 pages). cited by applicant.
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Primary Examiner: Sayadian; Hrayr A
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Crowe & Dunlevy
Parent Case Text
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a divisional of United States Application for
patent Ser. No. 15/592,437 filed May 11, 2017, which claims the
priority benefit of French Application for Patent No. 1659700,
filed on Oct. 7, 2016, the disclosures of which are hereby
incorporated by reference in their entireties.
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A back-side illuminated image sensor, comprising memory regions
formed in a semiconductor wafer, each memory region being located
between two opaque walls which extend into the semiconductor wafer
from a rear surface of the semiconductor wafer and are in contact
with an opaque screen arranged at the rear surface of the
semiconductor wafer to cover the memory region, wherein each opaque
wall is separated from the memory region by a polysilicon
layer.
2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein, for each memory region, the
opaque walls and the opaque screen are conductive and are
configured for connection to a node of application of a bias
potential.
3. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the opaque walls and the opaque
screen are made of tungsten and the opaque walls have a thickness
in the range from 50 to 200 nm.
4. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the opaque walls are separated
from the memory region by a layer of hafnium oxide.
5. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the polysilicon layer is
separated from the memory region by a silicon oxide layer.
6. The sensor of claim 5, wherein the opaque walls are separated
from the polysilicon layer by a layer of hafnium oxide.
7. A back-side illuminated image sensor, comprising: a
semiconductor wafer having a front surface and a rear surface; a
pair of trenches extending completely through the semiconductor
wafer between the front and rear surfaces, said pair of trenches
delimiting a memory region within the semiconductor wafer for a
pixel that receives light through the rear surface; a layer of
polysilicon material on side walls of each trench and at a front of
the trench adjacent the front surface; an opaque wall in each
trench, the opaque wall surrounded inside the trench by the layer
of polysilicon material; and an opaque screen arranged at the rear
surface of the semiconductor wafer to cover the memory region and
in contact with each opaque wall.
8. The sensor of claim 7, wherein the opaque walls and the opaque
screen are made of an electrically conductive material.
9. The sensor of claim 8, wherein the electrically conductive
material is tungsten.
10. The sensor of claim 7, further comprising a layer of hafnium
oxide positioned between the opaque wall and the memory region.
11. The sensor of claim 7, further comprising layer of silicon
oxide positioned between the layer of polysilicon material and the
memory region.
12. The sensor of claim 11, further comprising a layer of hafnium
oxide positioned between the opaque wall and the layer of
polysilicon.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor device, and more
particularly to a back-side illuminated image sensor.
BACKGROUND
An image sensor comprises an array of pixels formed from a
semiconductor wafer. Charges are generated in each pixel according
to the light received during an acquisition period, and the number
of generated charges is read during a read period. In certain image
sensors, the pixels are associated with memory regions where the
generated charges are periodically transferred to be read later
on.
A problem is that light may reach the memory areas between the
transfer and read time, and generate electron/hole pairs therein.
This modifies the number of stored charges, which decreases the
image quality. This problem is in particular raised for back-side
illuminated image sensors. Structures of optical isolation of the
memory regions have been provided, such as that described in United
States Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0118438, which
provides, in relation with its FIG. 2, for surrounding each memory
region with opaque tungsten walls and providing on the back side a
tungsten shield layer. However, the opaque walls and the shield
layer are not contiguous and light may pass therebetween and reach
the memory region. Such structures thus let through part of the
light. These structures further have various manufacturing and
implementation problems.
It is thus desired to have a back-side illuminated image sensor
comprising memory regions efficiently protected from light, as well
as a method of manufacturing such a sensor.
SUMMARY
An embodiment provides a back-side illuminated image sensor,
comprising memory regions formed in a semiconductor wafer, each
memory region being located between two opaque walls which extend
into the wafer and are in contact with an opaque screen arranged on
the rear surface of the memory region.
According to an embodiment, for each memory region, the opaque
walls and the opaque screen are conductive and are connected to a
node of application of a bias potential.
According to an embodiment, the opaque walls and the opaque screens
are made of tungsten and the opaque walls have a thickness in the
range from 50 to 200 nm.
According to an embodiment, the opaque walls are separated from the
memory regions by a hafnium oxide layer.
According to an embodiment, each opaque wall is separated from the
associated memory region by a polysilicon layer, the polysilicon
layer being separated from the associated memory region by a
silicon oxide layer.
According to an embodiment, the opaque walls are separated from the
polysilicon layers by a hafnium oxide layer.
An embodiment provides a method of manufacturing a back-side
illuminated image sensor, comprising the successive steps of: a)
forming trenches arranged on either side of memory regions in the
front surface of a semiconductor wafer; b) filling the trenches
with silicon nitride; c) forming transistors inside and on top of
the front surface; d) etching by chemical-mechanical polishing the
rear surface all the way to the silicon nitride; e) removing the
silicon nitride by selective etching from the rear surface; f)
forming opaque walls by filling the trenches with an opaque
material; and g) forming on the rear surface of each memory region
an opaque screen in contact with the opaque walls.
According to an embodiment, the opaque walls and the opaque screens
are made of tungsten, the opaque walls having a thickness in the
range from 50 nm to 200 nm.
According to an embodiment, the method comprises, between steps e)
and f): covering the structure with a hafnium oxide layer.
According to an embodiment, the method comprises, between steps d)
and e): covering the structure with a hafnium oxide layer; and
etching openings extending from the rear surface to the silicon
nitride.
According to an embodiment, the method comprises: between steps a)
and b), forming an electrically-insulating layer and then a
polysilicon layer on the lateral walls and on the bottom of the
trenches; at step b), incompletely filling the silicon nitride
trenches; and between steps b) and c), completing the trench
filling with polysilicon.
According to an embodiment, at step b), the silicon nitride is
recessed by from 50 nm to 150 nm from the front surface of the
wafer, the trenches having a depth in the range from 3 .mu.m to 12
.mu.m.
According to an embodiment, the method further comprises, at step
b): covering the front surface with a silicon nitride layer filling
the trenches; and removing by selective wet etching the portions of
the silicon nitride layer which cover the front surface.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing and other features and advantages will be discussed
in detail in the following non-limiting description of specific
embodiments in connection with the accompanying drawings,
wherein:
FIGS. 1 to 9 are partial simplified cross-section views
illustrating steps of an embodiment of a method of manufacturing a
back-side illuminated image sensor, FIG. 9 illustrating the
obtained sensor; and
FIGS. 10 to 13 are partial simplified cross-section views
illustrating steps of another embodiment of a method of
manufacturing a back-side illuminated image sensor, FIG. 13
illustrating the obtained sensor.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The same elements have been designated with the same reference
numerals in the various drawings and, further, the various drawings
are not to scale. For clarity, only those steps and elements which
are useful to the understanding of the described embodiments have
been shown and are detailed. In particular, conductive
interconnection lines and elements such as transistors and
photodiodes are not shown.
In the following description, when reference is made to terms
qualifying the absolute position, such as terms "left", "right",
etc. or the relative position, such as terms "upper", "lower",
etc., reference is made to the orientation of the concerned element
in the corresponding drawings. Unless otherwise specified,
expression "in the order of" means to within 10%, preferably to
within 5%.
FIGS. 1 to 9 are simplified cross-section views illustrating an
embodiment of a back-side illuminated image sensor at successive
steps of its manufacturing. The sensor comprises a pixel array, and
the manufacturing of a single one of these pixels and of portions
of neighboring pixels has been shown.
At the step of FIG. 1, the front surface has been covered with a
semiconductor wafer 1, for example, made of silicon, with an etch
stop layer 3, for example, made of silicon oxide, and then with a
silicon nitride masking layer 5. Trenches 7 have been etched in
semiconductor wafer 1. Trenches 7 are arranged in pairs on either
side of regions 9 of wafer 1 which correspond to future memory
regions. A pair of trenches 7 and the associated region 9 are
visible in the left-hand portion of FIG. 1. Memory region 9
preferably has an elongated shape in the direction orthogonal to
the plane of the drawings. Each pixel comprises a photodiode which
will be formed in a region 11 located outside of the pairs of
trenches 7.
An electrically-insulating layer 13 of small thickness, for
example, made of silicon oxide, has then been conformally
deposited. Layer 13 covers the lateral walls and the bottom of
trenches 7.
A polysilicon layer 15 is then conformally deposited on the front
surface. Layer 15 covers, in particular, the portions of layer 13
located in the trenches. Layers 13 and 15 have a total thickness
smaller than half that of trenches 7, so that there remain recesses
17 at the heart of trenches 7. As a variation, layer 15 may be
omitted.
As an example, trenches 7 have a width in the order of 200 nm.
Trenches 7 may extend into the wafer down to a depth in the range
from 3 to 10 .mu.m, for example, 6 .mu.m. Insulating layer 13 may
have a thickness in the range from 5 to 20 nm, for example, 12 nm.
Recesses 17 may have a width in the range from 50 to 200 nm, for
example, 70 nm.
At the step of FIG. 2, a silicon nitride layer 20 is deposited on
the front surface to fill recesses 17.
At the step of FIG. 3, silicon nitride layer 20 is removed, for
example, by a wet etching, with an etching time provided so that
there remain silicon nitride sacrificial walls 30 in recesses 17.
As an example, sacrificial walls 30 fill recesses 17 up to a level
located at a depth in the range from 50 to 150 nm under the front
surface of wafer 1.
At the step of FIG. 4, the portions 40 of recesses 17 which have
remained empty have been filled with polysilicon. All the elements
located on the front surface above the level of etch stop layer 3
have been removed by chemical-mechanical polishing.
Doping steps are then carried out, in particular for the forming of
memory regions 9 and of photodiode regions 11, as well as for the
forming of various transistors such as transfer, read, or reset
transistors. These steps may be implemented due to the fact that
the deep trenches, which imply a high thermal budget for their
manufacturing, have already been formed and filled. During these
steps, sacrificial walls 30 may be submitted to high temperatures
during anneal steps. Sacrificial walls 30 advantageously resist
these steps due to their being made of silicon nitride. Further,
layers 13 and 15 which cover the sides of sacrificial walls 30
enable to avoid any risk for nitrogen atoms originating from the
sacrificial walls to reach memory regions 9 or photodiode regions
11.
A protection layer 42, for example, made of silicon nitride, and an
insulation layer 44, for example, made of silicon oxide, are then
deposited. Layers 46 comprising interconnection lines are formed on
layer 44.
At the step of FIG. 5, the wafer has been flipped. The rear surface
or back side is now located in the upper portion of FIGS. 5 to 9.
Memory region 9 and the associated trenches 7 are located in the
right-hand portion. The elements located above the level of
sacrificial walls 30 are then removed, for example, by
chemical-mechanical polishing of the rear surface, so that the
sacrificial walls are flush with the polished rear surface.
At the step of FIG. 6, sacrificial walls 30 are removed. Due to the
fact that sacrificial walls 30 are made of silicon nitride,
sacrificial walls 30 may advantageously be easily removed by
selective wet etching in the example where the only other materials
present on the back side are silicon and silicon oxide. Such a
selective wet etching may be performed by a phosphoric acid
solution H.sub.3PO.sub.4. Recesses 60 are obtained at the locations
of sacrificial walls 30.
At the step of FIG. 7, a layer 70 made of a positively-charged
passivation material, such as hafnium oxide HfO.sub.2, is
deposited. Layer 70 covers the rear surfaces of memory regions 9
and of photodiode 11, and covers the walls and the bottom of
recesses 60. Silicon oxide is then deposited on layer 70. The
deposition is non-conformal, that is, it mainly covers the surfaces
oriented towards the back side. One thus forms, in addition to
portions 72 on the bottoms of recesses 60, a silicon oxide layer 74
which exhibits an opening 76 at the level of each recess.
As an example, layer 70 has a thickness in the range from 4 to 10
nm. Layer 74 may have a thickness in the range from 30 to 40 nm. As
a variation, layer 70 may be omitted.
At the step of FIG. 8, recesses 60 are filled with an opaque
material, that is, a material having an optical extinction
coefficient greater than 1, for example, tungsten. The filling is
performed via openings 76, for example, by a tungsten deposition on
the rear surface, followed by a chemical-mechanical polishing down
all the way to layer 74. Layer 74 is then used as a polishing stop
layer. Opaque walls 80 flush with the surface of layer 74 are
obtained. Opaque walls 80 have their sides covered with layer
70.
According to an advantage of the method described herein, due to
the fact that the tungsten deposition is performed after the step
of forming the transistors discussed in relation with FIG. 4, and
particularly after the anneal steps, various problems are avoided,
such as problems of tungsten diffusion into memory and photodiode
regions 9 and 11.
At the step of FIG. 9, antireflection layers 90 and 92 are
deposited on layer 74. As an example, layer 90 is made of tantalum
oxide and layer 92 is made of silicon oxide. The thickness of layer
90 is selected so that this layer, sandwiched between layers 74 and
92, forms an antireflection coating. The portions of layers 92 and
90 located opposite memory regions 9 and opaque walls 80 are etched
from the back side, and the etching is continued down to a level
located in layer 74. Due to the provision of layer 74, a portion of
the opaque walls is exposed at the bottom of the etched portions.
The etched portions, for example, tungsten, are filled with an
opaque material. Due to the fact that the opaque walls are partly
exposed, the tungsten is in contact with opaque walls 80. Opaque
screens 96 have thus been obtained on the back side of memory
regions 9, in contact with opaque walls 80.
Each memory region 9 is thus located between two opaque walls 80 in
contact with opaque screen 96. In operation, when the back side of
the image sensor is illuminated by an optical radiation, memory
region 9 is particularly efficiently protected from the radiation,
particularly due to the contact between opaque screen 96 and opaque
walls 80. The obtained image sensor thus has a particularly high
image quality.
As an example, each opaque screen 96 is connected to a node of
application of a bias potential (not shown). Due to the fact for
opaque walls 80 and the associated opaque screen 96 to be
surrounded with the insulating materials of layers 70, 74, 90, and
92, the assembly of the opaque walls and of the screen can then be
biased, which enables to control the operation of the memory
cell.
FIGS. 10 to 13 are simplified cross-section views illustrating
another embodiment of a back-side illuminated image sensor at
successive steps of its manufacturing. The manufacturing of a
single pixel and of portions of neighboring pixels have been shown
in the same way as in FIGS. 1 to 9.
At the step of FIG. 10, from a semiconductor wafer 1, steps similar
to those of FIGS. 1 to 5 have been successively implemented. The
back side is thus located in the upper portion of FIGS. 10 to
13.
The rear surface or back side is covered with a passivation layer
70, for example, made of hafnium oxide Hf0.sub.2, and then with a
silicon oxide layer 74. An opening 100 is then etched from the back
side above each of sacrificial walls 30, opening 100 extending
through layer 70 and 74 all the way to sacrificial wall 30.
At the step of FIG. 11, sacrificial walls 30 are removed in a way
similar to that previously described in relation with FIG. 6, that
is, by selective wet etching. A recess 60 is obtained at the
location of each sacrificial wall 30, each recess 60 emerging
towards the back side through the associated opening 100.
The step of FIG. 12 is carried out in a way similar to that
previously described in relation with FIG. 8, that is, by filling
with an opaque material recesses 60 and openings 100, and then by
polishing the rear surface all the way to polishing stop layer
74.
The step of FIG. 13 is carried out similarly to that described in
relation with FIG. 9. One obtains, on the one hand, an
antireflection coating 74, 90, and 92 covering passivation layer 70
on the rear surface of each of photodiode regions 11 and, on the
other hand, an opaque screen 96 located on the rear surface of each
memory region 9. Each opaque screen 96 is in contact with opaque
walls 80 delimiting each memory region 9.
Specific embodiments have been described. Various alterations,
modifications, and improvements will occur to those skilled in the
art. In particular, at the step of FIG. 4, one via may be formed
for each trench between, on the one hand, portion 40 and
polysilicon layer 15 and, on the other hand, a node of application
of a bias potential. The memory cell operation can thus be
controlled.
Such alterations, modifications, and improvements are intended to
be part of this disclosure, and are intended to be within the
spirit and the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the
foregoing description is by way of example only and is not intended
to be limiting. The present invention is limited only as defined in
the following claims and the equivalents thereto.
* * * * *